Finally, as the rainfall increased, parade participants and residents
alike gathered in front of the Community Church and around the war
memorial dedicated to those from town who served in all of the nation's
past conflicts.

"Where do we get such men as these?" asked state Rep. Robert Hargraves
(R-Groton) during this ceremony.

Hargraves extolled the sacrifices made by all those "who have answered
the call to defend our freedom for 200 years they were our comrades our
children and grandchildren."

Hargraves recounted a recent story about the Archbishop of Canterbury
asking Secretary of State Colin Powell at a function what the intentions
of the United States were in Iraq. In response, Powell stated that when
the United States sent its men into peril, all it ever asked in return
was a place to bury the fallen.